The days work begins and ends in the pitch dark now, though yesterday was warm, the day was gray. I know winter is coming, the light is dimming, but these last few warm days have been a delightful respite. 
L’il Puss The Scrapper’s bottom is kept comfy. He has very generously offered to keep the pump warm for me after the milking. He is good like that.
The days have taken a definite turn towards the sepia though. The colour is leaching out of our shorter daylight hours with nebulous baby steps in the wrong direction.
I climbed up into the tree house to see what I could see and discovered that there was even less to see from there now. 
The crops are gone, the grass is dying back.
Though Sheila (and Charlotte) are still hard at work, excavating the grass roots before the freeze. Little grubbers… well not so little now!
She is not going to be pleased when this is field is turned over, and resown next spring, and she will not be allowed in here for another five years. How long does a pig live anyway?
Daisy has recovered her long strong productive stride and is giving 40 to 50 pounds of milk per day again. Ten pounds is about a gallon. Everyone is getting a good share again on our little (almost) self sustaining farm. I made yoghurt yesterday for all the animals, especially me, it is a while since we had enough milk to do that. So today I will make a lovely fresh rosemary cheese.
Although the day was still and dreary, Kupa swanned in and brightened it up again. The Kupa Way is awesome. How his feathers have grown!
Can you spot the difference in the Daily View? 
Though the temperatures have not changed very much. 
I think today might be warm too.
Good morning. I hope you all have a lovely day.
Here is my thanksgiving tip. When you are prepping all those vegetables, pop the peelings, stalks, onion skins, garlic skins, apple cores and the sticks of thyme and rosemary – anything that is even remotely vegetable and edible – into a container and store in the freezer. Keep adding to the container as you work.
When things are quiet again – tip it all into a big pot, cover with water, add a tiny dash of cider vinegar and make your vege stock. It only takes an hour or so and homemade vegetable stock is a MUST. I make stock once a week, on the woodstove, using the weeks collected off-cuts. And the pigs (or chickens) LOVE the cooked vegetables that are strained out at the end. And it is free and Good.
Thank you so much for all your fantastic comments yesterday, it was a very productive session for me. I am, quite literally, feeling my way through this novel writing process and your words are greatly appreciated.
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
62 responses to “From Gray to Kupa’s Way”
Ahh Kupa you doth shine, bring color to this world of mine, thank you bird for you gift divine, Ah Kupa you doth shine!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
WOW!! Sing it again!! c
Love your description of the day’s colors turning the way of sepia. Such a great description!
I think it happens faster up there in the city.. c
Hope you have a wonderful Turkey Day C!!!
We are having a home grown ham.. I hope it is as good as it looks!! c
Celia I so appreciate you promoting stock making. When you see what passes as organic stock in containers in the supermarket I cringe. I know everyone is really busy but stock rather looks after itself. If one just made two stocks – chicken and vegetable and kept them in freezer containers it is like money in the bank. You can do a million things when you have really good stocks at hand. We ran a true French kitchen when we had our restaurant. There was always vegetable, chicken, fish, shellfish, veal, beef and kitchen stock. A large stock pot simmered away all day and anything that didn’t quite fit the above categories went into this pot. It had the richest and most delicious taste and made a marvelous base for some of our soups. The restaurant is part of our past but the big stock pots have a place of honour in our pantry and they are put to good use. Just a few bits and pieces added to the stock and you can have a lovely meal for practically nothing. Bon Appetit Virginia
I absolutely agree virginia, what is so amazing is how easy it is, and the results are astounding.. have a lovely day honey.. c
WOW – the peacock is decked out – love it! Have a Great Thanksgiving on the Farmy:)
You too. I hope you have a lovely day! c
Ok… I give up, what is the difference in the daily view? All I could discern from the most recent past photo was slightly different sky, less leaves, different bucket, no Ton Ton, the window screen’s been moved on and no white ute… Lil’ Scrapper is not so little now… and Kupa’s photos just bring joy to my soul – he is truly magnificent, and such a character as well 🙂
You are pretty good EllaDee darling .. I have closed the big door to the chook house. Now they only have their little winter opening into the run as opposed to the gigantic summer opening.. the cold is coming I said to them! c
Aha 🙂 We are still having the usual mixed bag November weather in Sydney – sun, rain, wind, storms, warm, cool… all in one day…
sometimes your temps are the same as ours at this time of year.. rock on honey.. c
Sorry I wasn’t able to comment on your story, I just didn’t have time to read it and likely won’t for a bit (coming down with a cold and things seem to take longer than usual). The vegetable stock seems like a great idea. I keep the trimmings from all the asparagus we eat and then I cook them, purée them and strain and it makes the loveliest free cream of asparagus soup ever.
That is an excellent idea about the asparagus, something I will have a lot of in the spring.. now you keep warm and get well, absolutely do not worry about reading the story, you never know it may end up being a book and then you can read it! c
I will surely read the book! Thanks C.
Hi, really enjoyed the taste you have given us of your book. Kupa is now “lookin’ fine” His ladies will not be able to contain themselves for much longer I’m thinking. 😉 I’m curious about your rosemary cheese. Is this a hard or soft cheese…and have you a recipe for it on your site hiding somewhere. Have a great day Cheers
The cheese is a fresh cheese, I guess it is a soft cheese.. I do have it here somewhere i will find the page for you, it really is incredibly easy.. and tasty! c
Thanks a lot. Really appreciate it. I’m teaching myself new skills and this should be great to add to my list of yummy stuff to try and eat.:)
Kupa is beautiful. Have a happy Thanksgiving with your John, the matriarch, the tall teenager and all and sundry.
Well, thank you for the synopsis milady!!! It gets curioser and curioser! Don’t know whether to follow the storyline or the history/philosophy!!! Oh, Kupa – met one of the kind meandering loose at the Townsville Botanical Gardens once and it was not a particularly friendly experience [all one-sided!] : can visitors enter and not be hissed and rushed 😉 !
Oh no a hissing peacock, how unfortunate. i have to keep the kitchen door closed lately because they are coming in the house but it was so nice yesterday that I left the basement door open and there they were tromping down the basement stairs! No hissing though.
Enjoyed your story and am looking forward to reading more. I make stock regularly and freeze it in ice cube trays then put the cubes in bags. Four cubes makes a cup.
Kupa can light the dreariest of days – what a handsome boy he is. Have a Happy Thanksgiving C.
🙂 Mandy xo
Your land is so flat! I’m glad you’ve had some mild days. I didn’t know it was that easy to make vegetable stock – great tip thanks Cee xx
Kupa is in full splendour! What a contrast with the monochromes of the landscape. And Daisy is being bountiful – how fantastic and amazing, given the change of season. She must be enjoying the fine feed you are giving her.
Pretty fall views and a Thanksgiving tip.. I will remember this next time I’m scraping up some veggies for dinner!